OMG you guys… meet Laurel & Christopher {in their own words}
HER STORY
BEST FIRST DATE EVER!
Chris and I met in true millennial fashion – on Bumble! I had just moved to Washington, D.C. for my internship at the Department of Justice in January 2018 and Chris was coaching at St. Albans and the National Cathedral School. Our first date started out at brunch in Chinatown and ended SIX hours later in Georgetown (Chris here- want to note that she was late)! We were at the restaurant so long they told us they had to take our table to rearrange for their evening set up. We didn’t want to part ways just yet so we ended up heading to the Verizon Center and then to a movie theater in Georgetown to see I, Tonya. By the time we got out it was night time! Neither of us planned for the date to last that long, the day just kind of flew by! We talked about going to SEC schools, our friends and families, both of our love of the Olympics, Chris’ plan to move to Florida someday (little did he know…), and everything else under the sun! It felt like we were already old friends and not the perfect strangers that we were. When I got home I remember thinking it was the best day ever, and I actually called my mom to tell her! In the weeks that followed we watched the 2018 Sochi Olympics together, visited tons of museums and monuments, attended Caps/Bolts and Wizards games, I got to meet many of Chris’ friends (including Colin and Grace), Chris got to meet my brother Mitch and my sorority sister Tory (now a bridesmaid), Chris showed me my first snow day, we binge-watched Friends during a government shutdown, I introduced Chris to the Bachelor, we saw the Cherry Blossoms, I met Chris’ parents, and we celebrated Valentine’s Day and Easter together! He made my time in D.C. an absolute blast and I very quickly realized that I found my best friend! When my internship ended, I moved back to Florida for my law school graduation and to study for the bar. Chris came down for my graduation and met a lot of my extended family, and visited me over the summer while I was studying (and ran flash cards with me), but he was still living in D.C. He said he was worried what would happen with us living across the country from each other, but I always felt like things would work out. Things always do when it is your soulmate! We took a trip to Williamsburg, Virginia for my birthday after the bar exam was over and on our trip Chris got a job offer in St. Pete! Sure enough, by Labor Day Chris was Florida’s newest resident. And the rest I guess you can say is history!
HIS STORY
BUMBLE SUCCESS STORY
Laurel and I met on Bumble (which I now own a share of) back in the beginning of 2018. It’s the dating app where the woman has to make the initial contact after you match, and after going to an all boys high school this was great for me! After talking back and forth for a few days I asked Laurel out on a date to meet in person. Funnily enough I was in Laurel, Maryland working at a swim meet at the time! We planned to go to brunch because she’d said she loves breakfast food and D.C. has great brunch spots. We met for brunch in Chinatown (at a place that was introduced to me by Colin, a groomsman). I was on time to the date and had to wait an exorbitant amount for Laurel (Laurel here- this is not true, I was under 5 minutes late due to traffic for a Caps game). We shared breakfast pizza, a few mimosas, and somehow a few hours later we ended up at a movie across town in Georgetown. The time flew by and we never ran out of things to talk about. I was a little worried though because she fell asleep at one point during the movie, but I figured she’d stuck around for a long time up to that point so hopefully that was still a good sign (Laurel here- it had been a long day with a lot of mimosas, give me a break). Obviously, I can confidently say now that things worked out. It really was the best date I’d ever been on and really didn’t feel like it had been 6 hours at all! My longest first date turned out to be my best and my last. I should put that on a bumper sticker. We spent a ton of time together in the months that followed while she was in D.C. exploring every part of the city. Funnily enough, even though I am from there, there was a lot of stuff I hadn’t seen or done. And there is something special about being able to show and experience your city with someone new to it and who you love. We became best friends and had a blast. Soon Laurel had to head home to Florida to graduate and study for the bar and I was still at home. I had always wanted to move to Florida (especially because D.C. is too cold) and had lots of family there. I also never felt like I had ever locked down something super permanent in D.C. and maybe there was a reason for that. So I worked hard and found a job in St. Pete by the end of the summer! At first I thought I would be concerned or anxious about moving my life down to Florida, but I actually felt a sense of calm. I guess that is because it was meant to be! I was greeted with a great welcome (complete with a sign Laurel made for me) and immediately I knew I was where I was supposed to be. Fast forward a few years, Bumble went public and I became a shareholder, and I got to ask my best friend to marry me. I think that’s definitely a #bumblesuccessstory #sway
Lead Photographer | Dafne Spencer
Associate Photographer | Emma Hintz
Bridesmaid Dresses | Azazie
Cake | Nothing Bundt Cakes
Caterer | St. Petersburg Yacht Club
Ceremony Site | St. Petersburg Yacht Club | Straub Park
DJ | Fast Breaks Entertainment
Event Planner | Astonishing Events | Stephanie Johnson
Florist | Carters Florist
Hair Stylist | Justina Jefferson
Invitations | Zazzle
Make-up Artist | Justina Jefferson
Reception Venue | St. Petersburg Yacht Club
Wedding Gown | Essence of Australia | Bridal Studio Tampa Bay